Cancer vaccines are designed to treat cancers by boosting the body's natural ability to protect itself, through the immune system. It has always represented a very attractive therapeutic approach, especially in light of the many shortcomings of conventional surgery, radiation and chemotherapies in the management of cancer. However, due to the low immunogenicity of the cancer carbohydrate antigen and the fact that many synthetic vaccines induce mainly IgM and to a lesser extent IgG antibody, the effectiveness of such cancer vaccine is still low. Various approaches have been explored, such as the use of an adjuvant, to aid immune recognition and activation.
There is an unmet need to develop a cancer vaccine and an effective adjuvant with improved immune response, especially IgG response. The present invention provides vaccines against carbohydrate antigens and adjuvant to satisfy these and other needs.